House passes DADT repeal; Lt Choi hospitalized

Housed passed a “stand alone” measure repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell by a vote of 250 – 175. Now heads to the Senate.

House’s first attempt (passed 234-194) was part of the larger defense policy bill that stalled in the Senate last week.

[Walt Handlesman / Newday / Politicalhumor]

No matter what the Senate does it still requires barry’s signature which in turn rests on Secy Gates and Adm Mullen’s blessing that it doesn’t damage military readiness, recruiting, retention and unit cohesion.

MSNBC Now is the time for us to act and close the door on a fundamental unfairness in our nation.

Translation: Time is now because we got spanked in the midterms and come new year we’re gonna try to keep the WH.

And the more than 13,500 servicemembers that have been dismissed?

And as usual, barry says one thing and does another. He supports repealing DADT but has yet to do anything himself. He could have signed an Executive Order on day 1 placing a moratorium on discharges while the Pentagon study was taking place. He didn’t. And 443 (2009) qualified servicemembers have been discharged on his watch, including West Point graduate, 2-term Iraq veteran and willing to do a third, fluent in Arabic Lt Dan Choi, who is reported to have been “involuntarily committed” today, which means the end of any chance of his reinstatement. The absolute wrongness of which cannot be articulated. The Commander in Chief should be ashamed to his core. Problem is he doesn’t have one.

Lt Choi: I did not initially want to publicize this but I now realize it is critical for our community to know several things: veterans gay or straight carry human burdens, Activists share similar burdens, no activist should be portrayed as super human, and the failures of government and national lobbying carry consequences far beyond the careers and reputations of corporate leaders, elected officials, high powered lobbyists, or political elites.

They ruin lives.

My breakdown was a result of a cumulative array of stressors but there is no doubt that the composite betrayals felt on Thursday, by elected leaders and gay organizations as well as many who have exploited my name for their marketing purposes have added to the result.

I am certain my experience is not an isolated incident within the gay veteran community.

MSNBC: It’s a role he took on as much by circumstance as choice, and he’s served honorably, but he is only human and needs to take care of himself in order to help others. Dan called me today to let me know that it had all gotten a little too much for him lately. After last week’s DADT vote, Dan, for lack of a better term, ‘lost it’ and decided to seek professional help through the Veterans Administration.

This sums up barry’s preferred method of “governing” – political expedience:

MSNBC: The Obama administration, while supporting the repeal, is appealing the ruling of a California federal judge that the ban on gays serving openly in the military is unconstitutional. The administration says Congress should overturn the policy.

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